So we're seeing lots of nice standing at attention for the National Anthem by National Football League players lately, all full of respect.  Isn't that special?

Turns out at least some of them have been bribed to get those pretty television pictures of respect for the U.S. flag.

In the case of the Detroit Lions:

In exchange for finding a different way to protest racial injustices around the country, Ford said she would be willing to donate both money and her name to community issues at the heart of the players' cause.

"As a team, we came together, talked to Mrs. Ford, the owners, and we understand the issues for the most part, generally," running back Ameer  Abdullah said. "Me personally, I definitely want to be an aid in growing the social awareness in this country, that it is a race problem in this country.

So in other words, the spoiled millionaire brats of the NFL will stand for the flag, but only if they are paid for it.  Their million-dollar salaries are not enough.  They need tribute from the rich old ladies who serve as their team owners, along with gobs of money in a commercial trade spread to Black Lives Matter and other leftist causes in order to bother to honor the flag.

Bottom line: They won't do it on their own.

Now, the aim of the team owner is clear enough, given that kneeling for the flag has directly led to falling ticket sales, presidential opprobrium and a downturn in the stocks of their parent company owners.  But now that word is out that the standing at the flag seen is just paid acting, and not the real sentiment of the players, it probably won't do much good for ticket sales.  What we see are owners trying to protect the value of their assets, not honor the flag.  What's more, the damage of shoveling money onto leftist social justice warriors is likely to have unintended consequences.  The newly enriched activists will protest the teams, do all they can to drive them out of business, and then mau-mau for more.

As for the players, sorry, pals: the rest of us stand for the flag because we honor it.  We don't need to be paid.